Hard To Say with William Stobb

Artifact Eleven: Desert Fragments

westobb — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 01:40:13 +0000

2010 chapbooks by William Stobb

Artifact Eleven: Desert Fragments from the University of Nevada’s Black Rock Press.

“The poems in Bill Stobb’s Artifact Eleven take us down into the strata of the desert and back again, leaving us light-blind with the ‘size of a spirit remembered in land.’ This is important and urgent work, causing us to think about the traces we leave not just on each other, but also the world at large.”

Juliet Patterson, author of The Truant Lover.

More information here.

Pointless Channel: Ten Poems, downloadable chapbook from Goss 183, part of the MiPO e-chapbook series.

To canyon crevasse and sun

wheel spun under a million

visible stars unsuspecting

voyagers are called

to disintegrate and report back.

from “Little Disintegration”

“Hard to Say,” episode 35–Mature Art: Ramke, Hass.

westobb — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 13:34:42 +0000

Download episode 35 (.mp3)

With the 2009 release of Bin Ramke’s, Theory of Mind: New and Selected Poems, I reflect on one of poetry’s original appeals–a maturity of thought and expression. Ramke’s poems are smart and vulnerable, experimental and honest. They continue to remind me of why I wanted poetry in my life in the first place.

And with the opening of applications for the 2010 Squaw Valley Community of Writers, we listen back to Robert Hass’s closing talk at the 2009 poets’ week. Hass reflects on poets who stayed with their art and found their best poems later in their careers–inspiring words for all of us who fight to make time for poetry in our daily lives.

“Hard to Say,” episode 34: The Joys and Perils of Not-So-Close Reading

westobb — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:45:59 +0000

Most of us have been taught, in one way or another, that “close reading” is the way to approach poems. In order to appreciate the artistry of a poetic text, we have to observe its operative features. But… you know… sometimes close reading’s not that fun. In this episode, William Stobb debates the merits of close and not-so-close reading. Sometimes it’s okay, after reading a poem, to just lean back and say “mmm,” but when all’s said & done, there’s something to be said for the powerful singularity of the text itself.

Download episode 34

Featuring poems by Ann Fisher-Wirth, from her 2009 book, Carta Marina.

FLASHBACK: Episode #1

didimenendez — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 14:36:10 +0000

Early Dean Young

Reflects on early books by Young, Design With X and Beloved Infidel. The first episode of “Hard to Say.” Check it out. See how far we’ve come.

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“Hard to Say” episode 33, “Brenda Hillman on Poetry and Politics”

westobb — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 23:49:45 +0000

photo: Tracy Hall

In these excerpts from her craft talk at the 2009 Squaw Valley Community of Writers, Brenda Hillman discusses tensions between poetics and politics, the writings of Denise Levertov and Robert Duncan, and some of the unique approaches to political poetry that she used in writing her most recent collection, Practical Water (Wesleyan 2009). For more information on the Squaw Valley Community of Writers, visit their website.

Download episode 33 (mp3)

“Hard to Say” episode 32, “The Idea of a Hybrid Poetic”

westobb — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 20:48:11 +0000

Edited by Cole Swenson and David St. John, Norton’s new anthology of Contemporary Poetry, American Hybrid, suggests that today’s American poet combines previously opposed poetic styles. The idea of a hybrid poetic is based on a history of late twentieth century American poetry that emphasizes conflict based on poets’ stylistic commitments. But how accurate is this history? Is it productive to imagine that poetry in our era has transcended conflict to create a new, more open and inclusive poetic atmosphere? “The Idea of a Hybrid Poetic” looks closely at Cole Swenson’s introduction to the collection, and features a reading of Reginald Shepherd’s “Direction of Fall.”

Download episode #32 (mp3)

New Music for “Hard to Say”

westobb — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 21:40:34 +0000

miPOradio welcomes Miniature Soap, the new soundtrack artist for “Hard to Say.” Hear more at http://www.myspace.com/miniaturesoap.

New episode in the works; “Hard to Say” goes interactive

westobb — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:08:23 +0000

The new anthology American Hybrid, edited by Cole Swenson and David St. John, raises interesting questions about contemporary poetics, poets’ influences, and the politics associated with stylistic commitments. Look for a new episode, “The Idea of a Hybrid Poetic,” in early July.

And, with “Hard to Say” at it’s new home on wordpress, it’s easy to get in touch with the show. Want to make a comment on a previous episode? Want to send an idea for a future episode? You can log in and post a comment on the blog, or email William Stobb at hardtosayonmiporadio@yahoo.com.

Hard to Say #31: Tom Tucker’s Blues

didimenendez — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 00:54:54 +0000

In 1958, Langston Huges got in a studio with Leonard Feather and Charles Mingus to record a jazz version of The Weary Blues. Half a century later, the Beat poet laureate of La Crosse, Wisconsin sits down with me to talk about the cd, living the blues, and blues poetry. We’ll hear excerpts from the cd, including Hughes’s “Morning After” and “Bad Man” and we’ll hear Tom Tucker’s poems “Sunday” and “Jackson Pollock.”

Download mp3